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Volvo XC60 facelift Test Drive

It has been said before and we are going to say it again: Volvos are no longer boring. Gone are the days when they were considered the sensible librarians of the auto world. Now, it is the teenager who sneaks past librarians for a bit of mischief. Well, the new XC60 isn’t as striking to look at as the V90 Cross Country was, but it promises to hold its ground by being loaded to the gills with features. It’s time for us to take the SUV on a short drive in order to figure out two things. First, does it still have the old-school Volvo charm? And second, just how modern is it? For information on contact details of Volvo car dealers in Chennai

Volvo XC60 Exterior & Style

Its external appearance is quite decent and is appealing at the same time to any customer, who’s looking for a good looking vehicle. For a stylish image, the roof is mounted with a set of rails, which look stylish and make this crossover much more trendy. The window sill gets chrome decoration for an extra edgy richness for all the doors. Both its outside rear view mirrors can be electrically adjustable, which is an added comfort factor as well. The mirrors have a heating function to them additionally and are retractable as well. The headlamps which are fitted onto the front end are active and are stylish too. The daytime running lights are LED and help better in visibility. The side profile is quite lustrous with pull type door handles and neatly carved out wheel arches, which have been fitted with a set of alloy wheels. The base and mid range trims are integrated with a single exhaust tailpipe and it is further decorated with chrome strips for better look. Whereas, the rear end of the top end D5 Summum is fitted with dual exhaust tailpipes, which have chrome cover to them and this enhances the rear image. Skid plate is fitted to both front and rear end. These protect the bumpers from getting damaged from the road impacts and additionally the front plate safeguards the engine from damage.

Volvo XC60 Interior & Space

Volvo’s reputation for tastefully simple interiors is on full display in the 2017 XC60. The inviting cabin features a distinctive “waterfall” center stack that gracefully joins the dash and center console. Operating the climate control is intuitive, but other systems might take some getting used to. In particular, the infotainment system is controlled via a multifunction knob on the center stack rather than a traditional touchscreen or dial mount where your hand naturally rests. Menus for navigation and music browsing can also be confusing.Seat comfort, on the other hand, is excellent. Front seats are well shaped and appropriately cushioned for long road trips, and the range of adjustments ensure a comfortable position for a variety of body types. Rear seats are similarly accommodating, delivering adult-sized head- and legroom. Volvo is still one of the only manufacturers to offer integrated child booster seats that fold out of the rear bench.The quality of the interior materials is decent for the class, though some newer SUVs have surpassed the XC60 in terms of overall look and feel. The XC60’s age also shows in the overabundance of buttons on the center stack and small infotainment screen. Cargo space is better than average, though, providing 30.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats and up to 67 cubic feet with those seats folded.

Volvo XC60 Engine & Gear Box

In terms of the engine, the Volvo XC60 is offered with a 2.4 litre 5 cylinder D5 diesel engine which has a twin scroll turbocharger which produces 214 hp of power at 4,000 rpm and 440 Nm of torque from 1,500 rpm to 3,000 rpm. These performance figures are impressive when compared to its segment.The 2.4 litre turbocharged diesel engine is mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission which offers smooth gear changes. This powertrain also has an all wheel drive system which is impressive over rough terrain. Volvo XC60 Braking and SafetyThe Volvo XC60 isis offered with DSTC anti skid system, RSC active stability, distance alert system, collision warning system with Auto Brake, Active Bending lights, ABS with hydraulic brake assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, dual stage airbags, inflatable curtains and pedestrian protectionThe Volvo XC60 is available only in a diesel engine option and the rated mileage of the SUV is 15.38 kmpl which suggests that the car can cover around 800 km before needing to refuel.

Volvo XC60 Driving & Dynamics

The Volvo XC60 R-Design has a steering which you wouldn’t exactly call light. The wheel has some weight but it isn’t that heavy to cause too much inconvenience while parking. At high speeds, the steering starts gaining weight and promises a lot of confidence to the driver. Steering feedback is so-so and we would have loved it if it was a bit more. On the handling front, the XC60 really rocks and it promises a lot of fun while attacking corners at speeds you would generally do in a well-weighted sedan. The 235 section Pirelli P Zero Rosso tyres have outstanding levels of grip.

If you gain something, you lose something. All this excellent handling comes at the cost of ride quality. The suspension is a bit stiffly sprung and hence the vehicle doesn’t have the most supple, or should I say, comforting ride. At high speeds, it gobbles up potholes with ease and the SUV remains very nicely composed, but at city speeds, some of the undulations do manage to filter inside the cabin, with a thud too sometimes. The suspension settings cannot really be tweaked for Indian versions since the vehicle comes as a completely built unit from its home country. The braking performance on the XC60 R-Design is just brilliant and the pedal has enough feel while the brakes have a lot of bite that make the vehicle stop in time.

Volvo XC60 Safety & Security

Standard safety features for all Volvo XC60 models include antilock brakes, traction and stability control, whiplash protection for the front seats, front seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and Volvo On Call emergency telematics. Also standard is Volvo’s City Safety system, which is a low-speed frontal collision warning and mitigation system with automatic braking.

A pair of integrated dual-stage child booster seats are optional and pop up from the rear outboard seats to accommodate children with a height/weight range from 37 inches and 33 pounds to 55 inches and 80 pounds. Other standard and/or available features include a blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, an upgraded frontal collision warning system with fully automatic braking and pedestrian and cyclist detection, a driver-inattention warning system and lane departure warning.

Volvo Xc60 Ex-Showroom Price in Bangalore ranges from 50,68,313/- (XC60 Inscription) to 50,68,313/- (XC60 Inscription). Get best offers for Volvo Xc60 from Volvo Dealers in Bangalore. Check for XC60 price in Bangalore at Carzprice

Volvo XC60 Bottomline

I’ll repeat what I said in the introduction paragraph. What a car! While the BMW X3 may be more fun to drive than this and the Mercedes GLE might be more comfortable, the Volvo isn’t a bad proposition at all and it is a brilliant alternative to the X3, GLE and the Q5. The Volvo manages to offer the best of all worlds and the fact that it is imported as a CBU, unlike its rivals which are locally assembled, makes the deal even more sweeter. Also, the Volvo seems a bit cheaper or at par with competition but it benefits from lower insurance premiums which is again like a cherry on the cake. All in all, the Volvo XC60 R-Design is a great buy and we don’t see any reason for it to not be successful in our market. On a personal note, after driving the XC90 first and now the XC60, I’ve most definitely made up my mind to welcome a Volvo car in my garage in the near future.